The Guardian
by TheWelcomeStranger
Summary: A part of SAWS! AU. Teyla sets out alone from an uncaring Atlantis to find her stolen people. Ronon knows two choices- find her, or be alone as the Last Satedan, for ever. An Ancient intervenes. Disclaimer: Don't own it, no profit.
1. Chapter 1

The wind and rain drummed the ground outside. Dead branches of withered tress tapped on the glass of the windows in the lonely tavern.

A flash of lightning briefly illuminated a rare stranger at the bar. But he didn't draw attention to himself for merely being unfamiliar to the somewhat unfriendly locals. His dreadlocks, his clothing were what really set him apart from the pale townspeople. That and his face didn't express their distrust and wariness- his face could have been carved from stone except his green eyes were alive and tinged with sadness.

Ronon Dex was alone offworld. He thought it fitting when he would reflect on what fate had dealt him so far. The last Satedan. Now Teyla's people were also taken, at least, that's what he quietly believed.

Teyla Emmagan.

Then she had vanished too- he never thought she'd go to such lengths, leaving Atlantis, leaving him alone. Perhaps he should have listened harder, tried harder to get her points across to the Atlantis team, understood more her well buried, still simmering frustration at their slow response, their endless debates and tactics. Restraining she who was a leader in her own right. He thought he understood, the need for quick decisive action, but truly he came around too late. Now he was looking for her, he was searching, had for some time now.

But sometimes, something held him back. Just as sure as he was seeking for her she was seeking Kanaan- her people, her first love, her childhood friend.

Even if he found her, he couldn't force her back, but to see her again, that would be priceless. Only, if she wanted to see him- why hadn't she told him she was leaving? Maybe, there were some things he should have whispered to her in those warm nights on the hidden balcony...

No one could understand him as she had. Was he not a good enough to her in return as... a friend?

When Ronon next looked up from his ponderings he found himself almost alone- he noted this while the barman looking him right in the eye in front of him. Ronon was too damn tired to play games. He simply stared back a while.

"Would you like another drink? Try something different," the barman finally said and then moved off. He looked back over his shoulder and saw Ronon making a face at him.

"On the house." The man insisted. He brought the drink he had poured and placed it in front of Ronon. "Sometimes, we stand at a crossroads and life can go two ways. But don't listen to me, I'm just a bartender." He added.

Ronon noticed the man still watching him. The barman doesn't look all that old, he thought. "What?" he asked gruffly. He found his voice was hoarse with disuse.

"The storm will pass soon." The bartender added as he tried and make himself invisible by concentrating on rubbing away at a stain on his bar.

Shrugging inwardly, Ronon took a deep draught then rested his head on his hand, closing his eyes.

Sometime later he left the tavern and returned to Atlantis.

He was welcomed back, as always. Time passed slowly for him, and his occasional journeys to find her failed. Time slowly grew between each attempt. Until, he learned that Teyla had found her people, as after some time to themselves they had re-established contact with Atlantis. Her ties were otherwise broken to them- to Ronon, even, and soon they all heard of her marriage to Kanaan, from another Athosian, not Teyla herself. Their slow action had cost them her friendship but for the sake of her people.

It was such a loss for the expedition. They learned how they had underestimated her. It was a loss for Ronon, who day by day came to realise he should have told her every day, in action, in word, any small gesture he loved her, that he wanted to _know_ her.

Ronon didn't usually dwell on what if? What if? For all his life it would break his heart. But the aching loneliness ate away at him now more than ever, these long months and years of her leaving, losing what he had found, but failed to express to her, to appreciate...

0o0

Ronon awoke with a start. He opened his eyes and looked around warily, subtly. It just wasn't... possible. He saw the same pale faces his eyes had swept over on his entrance into this dim room. The barman has gotten somewhere with that stain, which had been slowly shrinking under his hand.

"The storm has passed," the bartender said quietly, looking up. "Sometimes, we stand at a crossroads, and life can go two ways."

Ronon stared into his cup. Accepting strange events, the twists and turns the path of life could throw you was something he must do. Sometimes you don't have time to question, or don't like the answers anyway, or, at least the way they were delivered from Rodney. He'd seen many strange things in his short life, and this was up there. But still the barman rubbed away at that stain.

"The passage of time when you are in sleep seems like nothing." The barman commented.

Ronon thought about the entire future laid out. One path of the crossroads.

"Would she be happy?" he asked aloud.

The barman looked a bit surprised, possibly at the astuteness of such a question, at the disregard of such strange circumstances.

"You want to make her happy?" he said, stopping his cleaning momentarily. Ronon looked at him a while, waiting, before he realised it was rhetorical.

0o0

"Teyla, what is it?"

Teyla felt her oldest friend behind her. He placed his hands on her shoulders and gently turned her to face him. She didn't resist, but didn't yield, simply allowing the movement.

"Kanaan, I hope no one has noticed but you." He nodded gently so she continued to speak quietly.

"I could not stay. I know, once it was best for our people." His heart lept futilely at the 'our.' "But the differences between us were too great. There was only Ronon..." She turned to look out into the forest they were standing on the edge of again.

"Teyla, we owe you everything for rescuing us, and to know you did it alone, it broke my heart. You did the right thing leaving. You always do."

Teyla smiled again out into the forest, and then it wavered.

"Kanaan, I must make the right choices to be fit as leader. But... have you ever wanted something so badly, but to confess it would mean you lose everything?"

Teyla knew that if she had approached Ronon, and he had rejected her, she simply couldn't bear to live in Atlantis. To leave suddenly and unexplained may cost the people of New Athos their alliance- and there were no secrets among her people. So much risk, so many feelings. If only he had understood enough to know he must make the first move... She closed her eyes and bowed her head.

"I know too well." Kanaan said quietly.


	2. Chapter 2

"_Would she be happy?"_

Ronon arrived Atlantis as the expedition were sitting down to another endless, pointless discussion known as 'briefings.' With decision already made, Ronon felt surprised at the happiness it gave him- and new hope. He would see it through. Teyla's people, Teyla herself, finding them all was better than the endless impatience he faced in this beautiful cage of steel and glass.

So he ran to the briefing room, leapt up the stairs and strode over to plant his hands down firmly on the table.

"I'm leaving. I'm going to find Teyla, or her people, and help them get back together."

Rather than listen to the shock and surprise the others were bound to communicate he turned and left just as swiftly. He didn't realise John Sheppard had followed him. John, who tried so hard to get him on the Advance team, to have him trusted enough to train the soldiers of his command, all in vain.

"Ronon..." he began, but Ronon cut him off.

"I know Atlantis is in the better position to fight the wraith. And maybe I'll come back one day. But I can't sit around... planning anymore." Ronon said.

John understood more than Ronon realised. Rather than say anything, he pressed his IDC device into Ronon's hands.

"Code's 20774176. Your own. I had McKay do it." He said quietly. Then he turned and was gone. Ronon smiled quickly.

0o0

Ronon searched for months, but the time passed quickly for him. After all, he was accustomed to being on the move, and he didn't realise how claustrophobic it had been in the city. Every so often he would hear snatches of rumour that the Athosians were alive, or that their Leader, Teyla, was seen with this or that city or tribe.

0o0

"Teyla, is it not time we rebuilt our alliance with Atlantis? I know we have no need of them now, but if we have more than one harsh winter..." Kanaan left the implications unsaid.

Teyla's proud head lowered a little.

"I would. I do not know how to." She said. "They have a guard device on their Ring- it is death to step through without the password."

"Have you... have you thought anymore of my proposal?" Kanaan asked hesitantly.

Teyla faced the forest of her favourite lookout again fixedly.

"Kanaan." She turned and faced her oldest friend. "I... what is that?"


	3. Chapter 3

Finally! Finally! Just thinking of the mock fights he and Teyla might have got him running faster, towards the settlement with curing smoke he could now see in the distance.

After roaming the Rings for months, Ronon had heard a solid lead about the location of the Athosians- _all_ of the Athosians- including: "That pretty little leader woman? I'd show her a nice time." The man who had the misfortune of divulging such desires towards Teyla, to Ronon of all people, got punched in the face. Though, he was right, Ronon mused. The tents were of Athosian design, there were none like them. Perhaps he should have thanked him. _Then _punched him in the face.

He was still smirking about that when ran up to a very surprised Teyla and wary Kanaan as they spoke on the edge of the forest.

0o0

"I've been looking... so long... for you." Ronon panted. Teyla looked at him in mild shock.

"Did you bring the Lantians with you?" She asked.

Ronon looked confused. He shook his head and his dreads swung loosely around his head.

"I left them months ago to look for you, or your people. Finally some... gentleman at the tavern on Arlia let me know kindly where you might be." She didn't reply but studied his face a while.

His smile faded a little at this welcome. Kanaan shifted his feet behind Teyla. Teyla remembered his presence then and turned to ask him to get a place for Ronon to stay within the camp.

Kanaan nodded and was gone with one last look at Ronon, his expression unreadable.

"I have... missed your company Ronon." Teyla said hesitantly, as soon as Kanaan was gone. Ronon's eyes stopped following Kanaan's retreat and his smile grew wide again and he stepped toward her.

"Teyla. The strangest thing happened to me. I saw two futures, as I was sleeping." She was looking at him curiously. He inwardly shrugged at this way of putting it- he could explain it more thoroughly later, so he continued. "I stayed in Atlantis, and eventually you contacted us again, through others. I don't know if we ever saw each other again. You married Kanaan." He took a deep breath. "Or, I could follow this path."

"And what path is that? You left Atlantis." Instead of answering, Ronon took the step forward that separated them and slowly cupped her face in his hands, brushed back her hair and brought his mouth down to kiss hers gently. Teyla responded just as softly, even as fire swept up her body, placing her hands on his arms. He broke the kiss to look down at her with glowing green eyes. He rested his forehead on hers.

"Teyla. You are the leader of your people and one of the bravest people I've ever met. Can I stay, here, with you?"

"Of course." She breathed.

0o0

It was not difficult for the Athosians to accept Ronon as one of their own. For those that respected hard work, he easily proved himself, farming, building, but mostly training those who asked Satedan fighting skills. That way, they would not die. For many, seeing their beloved Leader happy was enough. For some, it was more difficult. Ronon won other hearts over when he produced the IDC, a place to trade with and call for aid should they ever need to again.

0o0

The alarm sounded in the Gateroom, though no-one was anticipated. After a second, the Gate's protective shield deactivated. Elizabeth Weir called out to Rodney hurridly. "What's wrong? Put up the shield!"

Rodney looked at John quickly then at Elizabeth. "It's Ronon." He said, and started typing on the computer like he was saving the world, sideways glancing at Elizabeth to see if she was still looking at him.

"I didn't authorise..." she caught John's eye and sighed. Then she watched as the two stepped through the Gate and it shut down behind them.

Ronon cradled a child in his arms, and Teyla stepped forward with her head high, smiling widely.

**A/N** If anyone knows what show Arlia is from I hope you're laughing with me.


End file.
